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Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Hi everyone,

I tried tried to install BT5 beside Win7. I have a 100gb (NTFS) Win7 partition, 100gb unpartitioned space and a 400gb (NTFS, also tried deleting this one). While gparted recognizes all my partitions, the BT5 installer tries to take the whole disk. I found a few postings online in different boards, but no solution. Is this a known issue? Am I doing anything wrong? Does anyone here have a solution for my problem?

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Boot BT5 from the CD and run the install script. When you reach the installation options for BT5, select manual and delete the partition you wish to install BT5 on so it appears as 'free space' (BE CAREFUL NOT TO DELETE YOUR WINDOWS PARTITION). Then select it, first make a small partition (1gb should be fine) and specify it as a SWAP partition. Next, partition the rest of the 'free space' (or as much as you want for your BT5 install) as ext4 and set the mount point to /. Install BT5 to this partition you just created and everything should be fine.

A word of warning, I tried this once (dual boot XP/Ubuntu) on my desktop PC and grub wiped out the windows bootloader, preventing me from booting into windows. I had to fix the MBR on my disk to boot back into windows.

PS. Google is your friend...

Try searching 'Ubuntu Windows 7 dual boot' or something similar. Installation instructions should be the same, as linux distros dont really differ much at all in installation (from my experience).

Respuesta: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Hey,

when you run the installer, once you get to the partitioning options you can chose to either "Use the entire disk", "Install side by side" or "Partition manually" (IIRC, I seem to have misplaced my ISO ATM but it's something similar).

Just look at the options carefully and choose to partition manually. Worked for me with BT5-GNOME-64.

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

I've set up many dual boot scenarios with backtrack, including backtrack 5. I even have backtrack and windows 7 set up along side each other right now. I've always been given the option to specify partitions manually. Does it not give you that option?

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Well, I have that option, but shall I just guess where I should place what type of partition and hope that everything is working in the end? Isn't there any known fix for my problem, so not just gparted detects my partitions, but also the installer script?

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Yes i also have those along side. As stated should be a manual option when u go through the install. If not i use Eausus partition tool which is free and works in windows 7.
If you use that make sure the partition is there and not formatted. Then try again to install BT5

Respuesta: Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Originally Posted by freakyng

Well, I have that option, but shall I just guess where I should place what type of partition and hope that everything is working in the end? Isn't there any known fix for my problem, so not just gparted detects my partitions, but also the installer script?

As long as you know where to create the partitions (your free space), you simply need to add a partition for the tree root (I would set type to ext4 or ext3 with a size of at least 40 gigs if you can afford it, with the mount point set to a single forward slash: / ) and a swap partition of about 2-4 gigs. The swap partition doesn't take a mount point.

Re: Dual Boot BT5/Win7 x64 installation problem

Hello everybody

I have a similar problem.
I have installed on a lenovo laptop Win7 and Ubuntu 10.10
Tried to install Backtrack 5 cause I did'n wanted to boot from USB. I clicked on the desktop Image and choosed "side by side" installation. The installation was ok but the problem is that probably GRUB was changed and now I can't choose Win7 or even Ubuntu to boot. Only BT 5.
Does anybody can help me how to fix mbr and have my booting choices back? Thanks